Biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare (pronounced: /baɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈwɔːfɛər/), also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war.
Etymology
The term "biological warfare" is modern, first used in 1941. However, the concept dates back to antiquity. The word "biological" is derived from the Greek word "bios" meaning "life" and the word "warfare" comes from the Old English "wyrre" and "fære", meaning "confusion" and "danger" respectively.
History
Biological warfare has a long history. In the Middle Ages, diseased animals were often used in sieges to spread disease in the enemy camp. In the 20th century, advances in microbiology led to the development of modern biological warfare, with nations researching and weaponizing deadly diseases.
Types of Biological Weapons
Biological weapons can be classified into two categories: pathogens and toxins. Pathogens are microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause disease. Toxins are poisonous substances produced by living organisms.
Pathogens
Pathogens used in biological warfare are typically those that cause severe diseases in humans. These include anthrax, plague, tularemia, and various forms of viral hemorrhagic fever such as Ebola and Marburg virus.
Toxins
Toxins used in biological warfare include those produced by bacteria, such as botulinum toxin, as well as those produced by plants and animals, such as ricin and saxitoxin.
Defense Against Biological Warfare
Defenses against biological warfare include vaccination, antibiotic treatment, and decontamination procedures. In addition, international treaties such as the Biological Weapons Convention aim to prevent the use of biological weapons.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Biological warfare
- Wikipedia's article - Biological warfare
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski